# inequality

Pronunciation: US say "in-i-KWAH-li-tee" /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɑ.lɪ.ti/; UK say "in-i-KWOL-i-tee" /ˌɪn.ɪˈkwɒl.ɪ.ti/

## Noun

1. An unfair condition in which people or groups do not have equal status, rights, or resources.
   - Simple: A situation where some people are treated unfairly or have much less than others.
   - _Economic inequality has widened sharply over the past few decades._
   - _Activists campaigned against racial inequality in housing and employment._
2. A mathematical statement that one quantity is less than, greater than, or not equal to another.
   - Simple: A math statement saying one amount is bigger or smaller than another.
   - _The teacher asked students to graph the inequality on a number line._
   - _Each inequality in the system narrows the range of possible solutions._
3. The quality of being uneven or irregular in surface, size, or arrangement.
   - Simple: A lack of smoothness or evenness in something.
   - _The inequality of the terrain forced the hikers to slow down._
   - _A slight inequality in the table legs made it wobble against the floor._

## Origin

This word came through Middle English inequalite and Old French inequalité from Medieval Latin inaequālitās, ultimately from Latin inaequālis ("unequal"), which combines in- ("not") with aequālis ("equal").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/inequality (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).